St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-16
A Russian Military Journal
Discusses the Situation
at Present,
And Hints That the Car Will
"Be There" When the
Hour Comes.
Mgr. Persico Charged With
Making a Big Politico--
Religious Trade.

tIc hldli III ld-Stu ny lllc AuSlTIdll press
in consequence of the transfer of some
Russian cavalry to the Warsaw district,
it is advisable to consider the military
position of Russia and her western
frontier neighborS III order to throw
light upon the question of vino is really
preparing To attack and who for de-
fenSe. During the past five years the
peace effective of the German army has
been increased 90 battaIions and 3S4
guns. The German troops on the Rus
sian frontieS have been increased 81
battaliOnS of infantry. % batteries of
artillery and ID SquadrOnS of cavalry.
Since 1878 Germany has built in the
eastern provinces 1850 kilOmeters of
railroads. There are eleven German
railroads by means Of which troops can
be forwarded to the Russian frontier,
and ten junction stations where they
can be rapidly thrown out of trains
and concentrated. Germany has
formed firSt-clasS fOrtresSes at Posen.
Dantzic and Konigsberg, and is
building similar fortress at Gran
denz: Austria has added nine to
the Twenty-third in.anry divisions
which formerly constituted her effective
and would add in the event of the
mobilization of the army fourteen land
wehr divisions. The Galician garrisons
have been reinforced during 1887 by
thirteen squadrOnS of cavalry and thir-
teen batteries of artillery, all provided
with tull complement of horses. In
the Austrian districts which might be-
come the theater of war with Russia,
1900 kilometres of railroad, with four
branches, have been constructed since
1913. Six Austrian railways are aVaila-
nj
bodies OF troops. who by means of the
new junction stations can be placed in
position OIL the Russian frontier. Mill
tarY hutS. depots and stores are being
collected at Lemburg, Przemysl. Jaw
Slaw. DembitZa, Riaschoff and other
points. The fOrtresseS at PrZemysl and
CracOW have been converted into camp
fOrtresSeS. Russian territory can be
bonlbarded from the CracOW forts. A
Urge quantity of rolling stock has been
tccImniated at Cracow adapted for use
o. Ru sian railways.
ALL THESE PREPARATIONS
are meaningless except i'll view of of
fensive tactics and show that Austria,
under the Semblance of defense is. at
the same time, preparing to invade
Russia simultaneously with her ally.
But what is Russia doing in view of her
Notwithstanding the manifest danger
Russia considers that European war
would be terrible misfortune to all
mankind. She was the first who, amid
her neighborS' feveriSh ornaments, did
not increase but decreased her defensive
forces. In 1881 and 1852 Russia reduced
her peace effective nearly 100000 men.
True she raised it again in consequence
of the Afghan affair and the necessity
of improving her readiness to mobilize
where her neighbors unremittingly
raised their fighting strength. Never
theiesS the peace effective of the Rus
sian army is now 1915 less than in
1881, while her neighbors in the same
period have raised their peace effective
10000. Doubtless Russia in the event
of war will assemble mighty army the
concentration of which on one frontier
will be incOmparably more difficult for
her than will be the concentration by
her neighbOrS of their forces at the same
place. During the last ten years ISIS
kilometres of railway have been con-
Structed in the western provinces of
Russia. In the German and Austrian
eastern provinces during the same
period $500 kilometres have been built.
Moreover the area in which Russia has
constructed railways is twice as large as
that in which her neighborS have built
such lines.
THE RUSSIAN RAILWAYS
no where pass outside the defense lines
of the triangle formed by st. Peters
burg. Warsaw and Odessa. Our neigh
bOrS' lines, however, run straight out to
the Russian frontier. 1t is easy to un-
derstand that they are not constructed
for advanced posts, but for the cOncen-
tratiOn of troops. a glance at the map
will suffice to show that close net
work of railways covers the district
along the Russian frontier. compared
with the insignificant number of rail-
ways that Russia can rely on. Not only
from Germany, but from the Austrian
frontier Russian territory is menaced
with rapid invasion. The most effective
measure against this danger would be to
extend the Russian railways until they
attain the proportions of those of our
neighbOrS. But for this enormous eX-
penSe time is required. and therefore
there is only one courSe-tO improve our
defenseS and fOrtresseS and increase
the number of troops on the frontier
and thereby guard against surprise.
Our nelghborS' increased military pre-
parations in 1856 compelled Russia to de-
wise counter measures, which will be
few cavalry regiments on the ViStula
might certainly be made the pretext to
excite the press and public opinion to
charge Russia With warlike intentions.
German and Austrian military authOri-
ties understand the defensive character
of this measure.
THEY CAN CALMLY CALCULATE
how many corps Russia will have to
send to the frontier while peace is undis-
turbed, so that after concentrating at
any given point the forces and means at
her disposal might suffice to place Rus
sia on footing Of equality with her op-
pOnents. They can also calculate the
of the forces with which, in
the event of war. Russia could be rap
idly invaded. They can still hope by |
sudden action to win comparatively |
cheap laurels, but high Russian military !
who do not fear the ultimate |
issue of a conflict, even if the whole |
forces of the peace league moved out |
against Russia, nevertheless openly rec |
ogniZe that the defense of Russian ter |
ritory is not yet assured. and if the |
peace league considers itself justified in |
developing its defensive measures so |
far as to bring certain Russian districts |
under the range of the guns of its most
advanced forts. Russia has the undOubt- |
ed right to provide for her defense and
to take every measure to uphold her |
honor and to maintain the inviolability |
Of her territory.
THE FEELING AT VIENNA.
VIENNA, Dec. 15.-The article which |
4 d.